Pulverized fuel supplying means for internal combustion engines



I May 31, 1932. L, c, BQWES 1,861,379

PULVERIZED FUEL SUPPLYING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet lv May 31, 19 2,- L. c. BOWES PULYERIZED FUEL SUPPLYING MEANS FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z nuflnop Jaumnce C.Z3owes,

I i 6 y {1; 1: g I k v Patented May 31, 1932 V UNITED srA'rss PATENT OFFICE:

LAURENCE C. BOWES, OII' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ABSIGNOB, BY HESNE ASSIGNKENTS,

U. S. OIL AND SERVICE CORPORATIONL OI' NEW YORK, N. Y A. CORPORATION OINEW YORK rvnvnmzxn rear. mums arms :03 mrnmmr. counusrrox mamas Application and October :1, 1029. Serial .llo. 401,330.

This invention relates to pulverized fuel supplying means for internal combustion engines. One object of the invention is to supply pulverized fuel to internal combust on engines by means of an air stream in which the fuel is suspended and from which stream the various cylinders of the engine can be supplied with the proper admixture of fuel and air.

Another object of the invention relates to the provision of means for preventing the accumulation of fuel around the fuel intake valves of the engine, or other valves, and to return any such deposited fuel ultimately to the fuel stream.

Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein: I

Fig. 1 is a vertical partial sectional view of an internal combustion engine illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line H of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, 10 indicates cylinders of an internal combustion engine each having a piston 11 therein. The present improvements are directed merely to the supplying of an explosive mixture of pulverized fuel and air to the cylinders and is-not concerned with matters of lubrication or ignition, any suitable means being provided to perform these necessary functions.

In carrying out the present improvements a supply of pulverized fuel, which may be pulverized coal, will be maintained in 'a suitable receptacle 12 from which the fuel is conveyed through pipe 13 to-a chamber 14. A blower '15 is'arranged to force a draft of air through the chamber 14 and into and through the pipe 15, which air will pick up the fuel in the chamber 14 and carry it along in a suspended state, and any unused fuel not abstracted from the pipe or manifold 15 will be carried by the stream back through the connecting ipe 16 into an air extractor 17 of anfy sulta le construction. The reclaimed fuel mm the extractor 17 will be returned to the fuel reservoir or supplying means by means of the conduit 18.

The ipe 15 communicates with the various cylinders 10, through intake conduits 19, in which are positioned valve stems 20 and 21 each of which has a valve closin member at each end. The stem 20 has a va vs 22 at its lower end which closes the intake port 23 of the cylinder and a second valve 24 which regulates the passa e of the fuel from the pipe 15 into the con uit 19. The valve stem 20 is arranged to reciprocatevertically for effecting the opening and closing of the fuel ports. As shown in Fi 3, tins movement of the valve stem 20 maybe effected by means of a rocker arm 25 which is 0 push rod 26, the lower end of w ich contacts b rated ya with a cam 27 of the cam shaft 28 which is operated by any suitable means by the engme. The valve stem 21 for each cylinder is reciprocated horizontally, which movement may be efiected by means of a rocker arm 29 having a roller 30 which bears against a push rod 31 having a cam surface 32 there on. Push rod 31 may be operated in properly timed relation by the cam 33 of the second cam shaft 34, although if desired the rocker arms 25 and29 can be arranged on the same side of the engine and operated from suitable cams provided on a single cam shaft.

While the blower 15is operating and a ply of pulverized fuel is being delivered to the chamber 14, a stream of mixed air and fuel will be forced through the pipe '15 and upon the suction stroke of any piston, the valves 22 and 24 will. be in open position whereby a charge of explosive mixture will be drawn intothe respective cylinder 10.

Upon the compression stroke of the piston.-

the valves 22 and 24 will be closed. The closing of the valve 24 will entrap a certain amount of the mixture within the respective conduit 19 which might cause a fouli of the valve 22 or an accumulation of fuel which would from time to time be drawn into the cylinder and provide an improperl proportioned mixture of fuel and air. 0 remove ion 2 racemes the entrapped fuel from the conduits 19, '1? provide a second blower which directs a blast of air through pipe 36 and into the left hand conduit 19. If the valves 21 carried 5 by the valve stem 21 are in open position, the air will pass through the pipe 1:) horizontally and remove the entrapped fuel and will pass into pipe section 37 and through port 38 into the branch pipe 39 and pipe 40 into tht air extractor 17. hen any of the alves 21 are closed, the stream of air entering the left hand end of the respective conduits 19 will pass through its port 41 through the by-patbs 42 and into pipe section 37 through port 43 and thence thru the second conduit 19 if the Valves 21' are open. If they are not open, the air will pass through the by-paths 2 3 to the neXt intermediate pipe section 37 and so on, the air stream dividing as it moves to the left and portions thereof passing throrurh the pipes 39 to pipe 40 and thence to the extractor 17. I

The cams that operate the respective valve stems 21 are arranged to move the valves 21 to closing position to shut oil the air current from the blower 35 while the valves are in open position admitting fuel into the cylinder upon its intake stroke.

By the arraingement shown, a constantly circulating stream of explosive fuel is available for each cylinder, which constant move ment of the stream prevents the settling out of the finely pulverized fuel. To guard against improper proportions of fuel and air in the conduit 15, means are provided for removinp; surplus fuel which may be fed through pipe 13. As shown in Fig. 1, the chamber 14. is somewhat larger in cross-section than the conduits communicating tl1ere- 49 with. This enlarged chamber 14 thus causes a local decrease in the air velocity from the blower 15 which permits excess fuel to settle out of the air stream into the collecting chamber 46 in which is positioned a. valve stem 47 having upper valve 4-8 and lower valve 49, the former controlling communication be tween chambers 14 and 46 while valve 49 controls communication between chamber -16 and the pipe 36. Any suitable means may be provided for operating the valves 48 and 49 periodically whereby when valve 48 is open, valve 49 is closed to permit excess fuel to collect in chamber 46. When the relation of the valves is reversed, the accumulated fuel will be drawn from the chamber 46 by the air stream in pipe 36 and be carried to the extractor 17. In Fltl'. 1 the illustrative means. shown for. operating the valves 48 and 49 comprise a lever 50 operativcly connected to the stem 47 and extending through the wall of the chamber 47. the lever being pivoted in the wall aperture at 51. The outer end of the lever 50 may have an anti-friction roller 52 which is operated on by a cam for periodically shifting the elves 48, 49. The

earn may be mounted on a rotary sl'ia'fi'; having; a worm gear in en t a worm 56 mom ed on the shaf cr 2. spring shifts the return the val cs ltl and it} to close positions re \ctivel -i. a fter th cam if; j out of contactwith the. roller l u 1 the cylinders are sho n provided with outlet valves which may he of: convcntional construction, or any other arrangementmay be used as the construction of the cylinder per se, the exhausting of the product of combustion, the means for firing the charge within the c linder, and problems of lubrication are per so no features o i the present improvements, although as to firing, spari: plugs may be used or the charge may be ignited by heat of compression as in engines of the Diesel type.

Although I ha ve shown and described embodiment of my improvements for the purpose of illustration, 1 do not wish to be restricted specifically thereto except as so limited by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with an internal combastion engine having one or more cylinders, of means for supplying pulverized fuel thereto comprising a header, means for forcing air therethrough, means for feeding pulverized fuel to the air stream to be carried in suspension therein, valved conduits establishing communication between said cylinders and said header when said valves are open whereby charges of fuel are abstracted from said header upon the suction strokes of said engine. means for opening and closing; the respective valves in timed relation with reference to the piston strokes, and means for removing entrapped fuel from each of said conduits while said valves are closed.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine having one or more cylinders, of means for supplying pulverized fuel thereto comprising a header, means for forcing air therethrough. means for feeding pulverized fuel to the air'stream to be carried in suspension therein, valved conduits establishing: communication between said cylinders and said header when said valves are open whereby charges of fuel are abstracted from said header upon the suction strokes of said engine, means for opening and closing the respective valves in timed relation with reference to the piston strokes, and means for removing entrapped fuel from each of said conduits .while said valves are closed, said last named means comprising air blasting: mechanism having passages communicating: with each of said conduits.

53. The combination with an internal com bustion engine of means for supplying pulverized furl thereto comprising a header, means for forcing air therethrough continuously during the operation of the engine,

means for supplying pulverized fuel to the air stream whereby the fuel is carried in suspension thereby, branches from said header affording communication between said header and engine cylinders whereby charges of fuel are drawn from said header upon the suction strokes of said engine, a pair of valves in each of said conduits for closing the fuel inlet and outlet ports thereof simultaneously, means for opening said valves upon the suction stroke of the respective engine pistons and closing said valves during the remainder of the operating cycle, said conduits having air inlet and outlet ports in its side walls, a second pair of valves in each conduit for simultaneously opening or closing said last named ports, means for actuating each of said second pairs of valves to open position when the respective first valves are closed and vice versa. and air blasting means adapted to force air through said second ports when the valves thereof are open for removing fuel entrapped in the conduits upon the closing of the respective first mentioned valves.

4. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a pulverized fuel supply member, a delivery conduit communicating therewith, means associated with said conduit for maintaining in the latter a stream of air carrying pulverized fuel in suspension from which stream explosive charges are abstracted by the engine upon the suction strokes thereof. and means for removing excess fuel from the air stream to provide a proper admixture of air and fuel, said last named means comprising a settling chamber.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a pulverized fuel supply member. delivery conduit communicating therewith. means associated with said conduit for maintaining in the latter a stream of air carrving pulverized fuel in suspension from which stream explosive charges are abstract ed bv the engine upon the suction strokes thereof, means for removing excess fuel from the air stream to provide a. proper admixture of air and fuel. said last named means comprising a settling chamber. a collecting chamber into which the excess fuel is discharged. and means for returning said fuel from said collecting chamber to the fuel supply means.

6. The combination with an internal combustion engine. of a pulverized fuel supply member. an air conduit into which fuel is discharged from said member, means for forcing air through said conduit for carrying the fuel in suspension therein. means for admitting charges of said fuel and air into said engine on the suction strokes thereof, a velocity reduction chamber in said conduit to permit excess fuel to settle out of the air stream, a collecting chamber into which such surplus fuel is discharged from said settling chamber, means for intermittently removing such fuel from said chamber and conveying it to said supply member, and means for closing communication between said settling chamber and collecting chamber during the removal of fuel from the latter.

7. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of a pulverized fuel supply member, an air conduit into which fuel is discharged from said member, means for forcin air through said conduit for carrying the fue in suspension therein, means for admitting charges of said fuel and air into said engine on the suction strokes thereof, a velocity reduction chamber in said conduit to permit excess fuel to settle out of the air stream, a collecting chamber into which such surplus fuel is discharged from said settling chamber, means for intermittently removing such fuel from said chamber and conveyin it to said supply member, and means for c osing communication between said settling chamber and collecting chamber during the removal of fuel from the latter, said last named means comprising a valve and means for op erating the same intermittently.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

LAURENCE C. BOWES. 

